Wax slabbing apparatus



July 19, 1949. c. F. EVATON WAX SLABBING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 9, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 a Zak/$2 fid/ff ,ramu

m 19, 1949. c. F. EATON WAX SLABBING A-BPARATUS s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 9, 1945 Filed Nov. 9, 1945 C. F. EATON WAX "S'LABBINCT APPARATUS 3 Shets-Sheet 3 Patented July 19, 1949 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE WAX SLABBING APPARATUS Charles F. Eaton, Methuen, Mass, assignor to Bennett Incorporated, Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 9, 1945 Serial No. 627,594

5 Claims.

Slabs of wax are used in connection with machines of various types having rolls which, when the machine is in operation, need to be supplied constantly with a coating of wax. Waxes commonly used are parafiin and other compositions of similar nature having melting points in a range from a low of about 12K)" F. to a high of 200 F. Such Wax is molded in the form of slabs which are adapted to be mounted in a holder so that one edge bears on the roll which is to be supplied with wax. Slabs provided for different uses may have difierent dimensions. One type commonly used has a length of 1-8 inches, a width of 12 inches and a thickness of about 1% inches.

The purpose of this invention is to enabl slabs of the character above indicated to be produced more efiiciently and at less cost than has been possible heretofore. A part of the object is to provide improved equipment whichis both more efiicient and less expensive to build maintain and operate than equipment heretofore known. The invention comprises a combined apparatus in the use of which melted wax is delivered'into molds, themolds and their contents are cooled in flow ing water, and the slabs thus solidified are released and discharged from the molds. A preferred embodiment of the equipment used is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tank in which the cooling step is carried out with a number of molds therein;

Fig. 4 is a plan viewof the same;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the molds;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the mold shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective fragmentary view of the bottom of the mold turned upside down;

Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary sectional views of parts of the tank and a "mold taken on lines 8-8 and G-9, respectively, of Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the extractor by which cast slajbs are released from the molds; v

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view of the extractor shown in Fig. 10, taken on line ll-H;

Fig. 12 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line l2-l2 of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 13 is a detail elevation .of a holder t r empty molds.

Like reference characters designate the same parts wherever theyncml the f gures.

'The main parts of the .apparatusand their operative relationship to one another are shown diagrammaticallyby Figs. 1 and 2. These parts comprisea tanker kettle l of any suitable cha actor, in which molten wax is contained, ha no a valve controlled outlet 2; a holder 3 in which molds '4 may be supported beneath the outlet 3 for filling; a'tank 5' through which water caused to flow continuouslyand in which the filled molds are placed to be chilled; and an extractorfi.

The tank or kettle may be of any suitable char acter, heated by any suitable means, and may either be the melting pot in which solid wax is melted or be supplied with melted wax from any other convenient source. The valve controlling its outlet may be of any character suitable for the purpose, preferably one which is capable of being opened and closed by single direct move ments of the operator's hands. Both the tank outlet and mold holder are located near tothe' head end of the tank so that an operator stand ingby them can fill the molds one'at a time, and place each mold when filled in the tank without shifting itsposition. In the arrangement here shown, the operator stands between the tank and mold holder and turns half way around'to transfer molds from the holder to the tank.

' The tank 5 is an elongated box and is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and l. It has an inlet ill for water at one end and an outlet l I at the opposite end, ,(the outlet being located at the height at which it is desired to maintain the water level such level being near the top edges of the tank walls) and is adapted to contain a series of molds and to supportsuch molds in .a manner permit ting their movement lengthwise from the front or head end to the rear end of the tank. A mold pusher l2, hereinafter described, is mounted the'iront or receiving end of the tank and, pleff erably, a thermometer i3 is mounted in a suit able loeation in or near the rear end to show the temperature of the water in the region of the tank from which the molds are IQmQVed.

The mold which I prefer to ,use, and which em, bodies novel features, is illustrated in Figs. 5. 9 inclusive. It consists of a mold proper lit n ofmaterial which is a good conductor of heat, preferably sheet metal, and has internal dimensions suited to the slabs to be produced. Its walls are, s lightly tapered, with the greatest distance between .them at theopenend of the mold to'perrnit easy withdrawal of the .cast slab. Flanges I 5 and 116 are united to the opposite sides .of the holdat the top end and extend'outwardly at substantially right angles to the median pl ne of the molding space. A tapered pin I! is mounted in the flange l5 projecting downwardly therefrom, and a hole |8 is provided in the flange it; such pin and hole being in the same vertical plane perpendicular to the width dimension of the mold chamber. The pin is adapted to enter a hole like the hole It! in th flange of a similar mold at one side, and the hole |8 is adapted to receive the pin of a similar mold at the other side, of the mold here shown.

On the intermediate sides of the mold and at the ends of the flanges l5 and I6 are upwardly extending (and preferably outwardly inclined) wings l9 terminating in lips 20 which ar spaced from one another by a distance about equal to the width of the tank and are adapted to rest on the upper edges of the side walls of the tank whereby to suspend the mold in the manner shown in Fig. 3. As thus suspended, the molds are immersed in the cooling water as to all of their height except the open upper end, and their external surfaces are in direct contact with the water. The side walls of the tank are armored with angle irons 2| at their upper edges to provide wear resisting and relatively frictionless tracks on which the lips of the molds may rest and slide. Strips 22 are secured to the lateral flanges of the respective angle irons with a spacer bar 23 between each strip and the underlying flange; and are located to overlie the mold lips 28, forming guard rails for preventing lifting of the molds by upward force components resulting from pressure applied to the endmost mold in forcing a long series of molds toward the rear end of the tank. These guard rails terminate short of both ends of the tank by distances enough longer than the lips 28 to permit insertion of molds at one end and removal of the molds at the opposite end of the tank.

Spacers 24 are secured to the broad sides of the mold at difierent levels. In the illustrated embodiment the spacers are angular strips of sheet metal suitably seemed, as by soldering, to the walls of the mold and are pierced by a sufficient number of large holes 25 to permit free flow of water into and out of the spaces embraced between the spacers and the walls of the mold. Corresponding spacer projections on both sides of all molds are at equal distances from the top of the mold, and all project a distance equal to half the prescribed spacing between adjacent molds in the tank, whereby to maintain the molds parallel to one another when suspended in the tank in the manner shown in Fig. 3 and while being advanced by pressure applied to the endmost mold.

The bottom wall 26 (Fig. 7) contains a vent hole 21, the purpose of which is to admit air when the mold is turned upside down and the casting therein released from adherent connection with the mold walls. This vent may be closed by a tapered plug 28, which is carried by a resilient arm connected to the wall 26 by a pivot 39. The vent hole and plug are equidistant from the pivot and the arm can be swung so as to bring the plug into register with the hole or place it at one side thereof. When in register, the resilience of the arm causes the plug to enter and stop the hole, preventing the wax from running out while the mold is being filled.

The pusher l2 previously mentioned comprises a handle bar connected to two arms 3|, which are pivoted to brackets 32 on the bottom of the tank adjacent to the side walls, and a presser bar 33 connected by short arms 34 and pivots 35 with the arms 3|. The presser bar is offset rearwardly and is located at a height such that it may engage the side, near the upper end, of the nearest mold suspended from the tank walls as previously described; and the amplitude of swinging movement permitted to the pusher is greater than the spacing of the assembled molds from one another. The approximate limits of swinging motion are indicated by full and dotted lines in Fig. 3. Stop shoulders are provided on the arms 34 engaging arms 3|, as illustrated by Fig. 3, to hold the presser bar 33 in the desired ofiset position.

Near the rear end of the tank, the side walls are formed with a downward jog or shoulder indicated by dotted lines at 36, and between this jog or shoulder and the rear end wall, the side walls have upper edges 31 at a lower level than the angle irons 2|. The difference of level is somewhat greater than the length of the locking pin enough so to permit the rearmost mold to drop clear of the pin on the next mold when it passes beyond the shoulders; and the horizontal distance between the shoulder 36 and adjacent end of the tank is greater than the over all distance between the outer edges of the flanges I5 and I5, so that the endmost mold, after dropping, may be shifted by the operator clear of the next following mold, and then lifted out of the tank.

The extractor 6 (Figs. 10, 11 and 12) is an enclosed box or chest having an opening 38 in its bottom and being supported on legs or a frame 4|? at a height convenient to permit an operator to pass molds singly, upside down, through the opening. Bars 4| and 42 are mounted in the box close to the bottom thereof extending across the ends of the opening from front to rear. They are connected with the box bottom by pivots 43 and 44 in locations permitting them to be brought near enough together to support the lips 20 of any mold, as shown by full lines in Fig. 12, and to be swung apart more widely than the distance between the outer edges of the opposite lips, as shown by broken lines, whereby to release the mold and permit it to fall. Pivot 43 is near the front of the box and pivot 44 near its rear, and the two bars are connected by a linkage consisting of a lever 45 having unequal arms pivoted at 46 to the bottom of the box, between the before named bars, a link 4'! connecting arm 4| with the short arm of lever 45, and a link 48 connecting the long arm of said lever with the arm 42. The ratio of long to short arms of lever 45 preferably is substantially equal to that between the distance from pivot 44 to the point at which link 48 is connected to bar 42 and the distance from pivot 43 to the point of connection of link 41 with bar 4|, so that the bars will turn through equal angles. A limit bar 49 is connected with the arm 4| by a pin and slot connection 50 and with the arm'49 by a pin and slot connection 5|. Its function is to limit the swinging movement of the arms to approximately the extreme positions indicated in the drawing. The pins of these connections may be adjustable lengthwise of the arms, whereby to vary the limits of their swinging movements, The arms and levers are supported clear of the chest bottom by spacer disks 52 underneath their fulcrum portions and supporting tracks 53 at locations remote from their pivots. Arm 4| has a handle portion 54 protruding from the rear wall of the box or chest.

A centering bar 55 extends from side to side of the extractor box midway between the front and rear walls thereof and has an elongated iqt hifi a unde iig s sl't re i e. the

fh't r j iet dm the i vhsnlt gm izi s tl and l ed c ea he i pb Heating means are Floc team; th ex .racto1f c ambe com ri e; a e m 19 stem i s!- the be orw i tiare di pd si mews pa e wherein. the mi i 1. r :58. rect d owafdtha jjepe te w r oithe hamber- Ye ves'fii as vent a mission or steam 'to the pipe 51 andnoziale is, respectively, and pipe v51 discharges into-a steam trap-611' A thermometer '62 is preferably mounted on the chamber to indicate the temperature therein. 'Eenea'ththeopening 38:2. switch member $3 is pivoted to the supporting framework byia. pivot rod {34 parallel to the long dimension of the opening 38' and vertically beneath the median line ti f- 'the opening. This switch is a board or plate having greater mass abovethan blbw'the pivot axis, whereby gravity tends to holdit'in either of two extremepositions} It is' 'stopped in the-positionshown by full lines in Fig. .l lby engagement of itslower edge -with 'a ramp-6.5, and in the opposite extreme position indicated by broken lines at 63a by engagement with a ramp 6 The extent-and weight of the part of'th'e switch memberbelow-the pivot Stand the position of the ramp 65 are --designed with such a'slab of waxthat, whensuch a slab falls rom the mold and isdefiected :by the switch to' e itsrearmostend in bearing on the swi ch below the pivot will causetheswitch'to swing beyond its dead point. fiuccessi-ve positions of a slab leaving the mold are shown'by broken lines at -s, s ,'-s '-and In passing-from position-s te ii the slabbears on :thelower-a'rm of the lsw-itrjli and swings the latter to the broken line position 63b, whence it continues by gravity to the extreme position 63a.

Release of wax slabs from their molds is accomplished by heat. A constant heating efieot is maintained by the pipe 51, and when each mold is inserted into the chamber, the valve 60 is opened to deliver a jet of live steam against the mold. Then the heat softens the surfaces of the slab enough to release its bond with the mold, whereupon the slab falls out by gravity; the vent hole 21 being then open, and the widening taper of the mold walls leaving the slab free to emerge. It then travels the course previously described. Slabs may be allowed to slide from the ramp 65 to a depository, not here shown, or may be arrested by a lip 61 of the ramp and bethereafter removed by an attendant.

The empty mold is then released by action of the operator in moving the handle 54, and thereby the arms 4| and 42, to the position shown by broken lines in Fig. 12, whereupon the mold falls and is deflected by the switch to the ramp 66. As its inverted bottom end bears on the portion of the switch below the pivot 44, it tips the switch back to the first position.

It is important that the molds be free from water internally when being filled, and I have provided a holder for supporting them to dry after being discharged from the extractor chamber. Such a holder is shown in Fig. 13 and has a base 68 with uprights 69 at opposite ends having lateral arms and H. The arms at the two ends of the holder are spaced apart correspondingly to the spacing between the lips of the individual molds and each arm is somewhat longer than half the length of the lips. Thus a mold values in reference to length and weight' of from them.

ope fe p eet m su k' i si r "ea Pe a 'u pri eybly'e nnt 19 hl gh. m tin p in q x ew x; that s; it rie .ly

amethei r s te f ow r l rate as admission estimate-11 neat;

an a t i n' b i tast enre a? which W if s s pp ied- 'i 9 age the e se ed ably hea th n. i empe tu e of e" w s hav 01 6 1g use a wa e up li d at m ve the ushe baf andf i hfa inseach'mold- The tat r? h r en iremoy the mold at th 1 ne rest to m as ess t d rts 'the'mold;; r P of the venthole 21 and sh ts' it to one s1 passes the mold through the bottom opening 38 of the extractor chamber until arrested by the centering bar 55 and brings the supporting arms 4| and 42 under the lips of the mold; opens and closes the valve of the steam nozzle 58; and then, after the wax slab has fallen free, spreads open the supportin arms and allows the mold to fall out. These actions of the rear end operator are performed durin the time required for the other operator to fill a mold with molten wax, place it in the tank, and operate the pusher. With the molds of the apparatus here illustrated, having internal dimensions of 18" high by 12" wide by 1%" (average) thick, the time devoted to filling is at least thirty seconds (to avoid foaming) and the total handling time about one minute. Thus the output of slabs of these dimensions is at least sixty per hour.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a slab casting apparatus of the character set forth, a mold having side walls completely surrounding an interior space, a closed bottom end and an open upper end, with flanges at opposite sides of its open end, each flange projecting away from the other, and a pin extending downward from one of said flanges, the other flange having a hole, said pin and hole being at equal distances from corresponding ends of the respective fianges.

2. In a slab casting apparatus of the character set forth, a mold having side walls completely surrounding an interior space, a closed bottom end and on open upper end, with flanges projecting outwardly from the upper edges of its opposite lds. ces ths 'ini he tank one by page side walls, a pin extending downward from one of said flanges, the other flange having a hole, said pin and hole being at equal distances from corresponding ends of the respective flanges, and outwardly flaring wings at the ends of said flanges having terminal lips adapted to suspend the mold from supporting means.

3. The mold set forth in claim 2, having a vent opening in its bottom wall, a plug adapted to enter and close said vent Opening, and a resilient arm pivoted to the outside of said bottom wall to which the plug is secured, said arm being shiftable to locate the plug in registry with the opening and at one side thereof, and its resilience causing the plug to enter the opening when registered therewith, and permitting withdrawal from the opening. p

4. In a slab casting apparatus of the character set forth, a tank having side and end walls and being open at the top, track elements mounted on the top edges of the opposite side walls of the tank, and guard rails extending lengthwise of the tracks and overlying them in spaced apart relation, combined with molds having lips at opposite sides of their upper ends projecting 'outwardly to an extent enabling them to rest on the tracks at opposite sides of the tank beneath the adjacent guard rails, and being disposed to suspend the molds into the interior of the tank, said molds having flanges at intermediate sides of the upper end extending oppositely to one another, one of said flanges having a downwardly extending pin and the other having a hole, said flanges and the pins and holes of the several molds being 50 disposed that the pin carrying flange of each mold is enabled to overlap the holecontaining flange of the adjacent mold and the pin carried by the overlapping flange to enter the hole in the underlying flange when a series of molds are so suspended in the tank.'

5. In a slab casting apparatus according to claim 4, the tank formed with a downward jog in the top edges of its side walls adjacent to the rear end and at a-distance from the rear end wall enough greater than the distance between outer edges of the flanges of the molds to permit descent of the rearmost mold of a series of molds suspended in the tank, and disengagement thereof from the pin of the next following mold, when said rearmost mold is near the rear end wall of the tank.

CHARLES F. EATON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle'of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 437,752 Cowdery Oct. 7, 1890 457,192 Gorrigues Aug. 4, 1891 653,235 Gray July 10, 1900 791,648 Richards June 6, 1905 1,294,545 Secord Feb. 18, 1919 1,308,753 Crouch July 8, 1919 1,401,050 Crouch Dec. 20, 1921 1,413,870 Paley Apr. 25, 1922 1,545,369 Tizley July 7, 1925 1,656,312 Black Jan. 17, 1928 1,879,944 Muth Sept. 27, 1932 2,035,117 English Mar. 24, 1936 2,282,544 Rosberg May 12, 1942 2,290,510 Talalay July 21, 1942 2,369,593 Marks et al Feb. 13, 1945 OTHER REFERENCES Simonds: Industrial Plastics, Pitman Publishing Corp., 1939, page 208, Fig. 63. Copy in Div. 15. 

